Girl Talk
by EscapingAFairytale
Summary: Harry and Ginny have a plan to get Hermione's thoughts away from the whole Lavender incident by taking her to Hogsmeade, but an unexpected visitor shows up.


"Hey, Ginny."

"Hey, Hermione."

It had been the first weekend after Christmas break. Hermione, grudgingly, had agreed to accompany Ginny and Harry to a trip to Hogsmeade. The only reason why Hermione refused to go at first was for two reasons: She had an Arithmancy test coming up, and she feared Ron would have accompanied them.

It had seemed like years that she and Ron hadn't spoken. It was much, much longer than the time they ceased speaking over the Scabbers and Crookshanks incident, and Hermione did not like one bit of it all. But in this case, there was no Scabbers or Crookshanks. There was a Lavender Brown.

"Ready to get going then, Hermione?" asked Ginny, slipping a hand-knitted hat over her red hair.

"Er – where's Harry?" asked Hermione, as she put a thick scarf on her neck. "I thought he was coming."

"He is," said Ginny, "he'll meet us there in a while, I think he's got Potions homework or whatever. C'mon, let's go."

"OK."

Together they departed from the common room and climbed out the portrait hole. They took a shortcut from the moving staircases and soon found themselves in the snowy trail to Hogsmeade.

"Damn – weather – " muttered Ginny, shielding her pink face from further harm.

"You should've been more protective," said Hermione accusingly, "this weather could send you a one way ticket to Madam Pompfrey's."

Ginny did nothing but grunted impatiently.

"Oh, thank goodness," said Hermione through chattered teeth. "I think we're almost there now, I can see some shops…"

"Zonko's!" muttered Ginny, and she was soon running faster and faster towards along the road.

"Ginny, wait!" called Hermione, racing after her, "there are some puddles here, and they tend to get –"

She stopped dead in her tracks to see Ginny slip and fall into the pale white snow.

"Frozen."

"Damn," said Ginny, rubbing her back and getting up.

"You should be more careful, you know," said Hermione, the sides of her mouth twitching.

"Well, you should've warned me!" snarled Ginny.

"It would take a five – year – old to know that water can get frozen in this weather."

Ginny raised one of her bright red eyebrows. "C'mon, let's go, I think I can see Flourish and Blott's."

Hermione and Ginny walked, this time more carefully, to see The Three Broomstick's mercifully open, and, since it was the first shop they saw, ran to it rather fast.

"Oh, Hallelujah!" cried Ginny, as they entered the pub together. She took off her knitted hat.

"It's open," panted Hermione, "thank heavens, its open…"

"Oh, look, there's a table over there," said Ginny delightfully, pointing at a small table for at least two people on the corner of the pub. To Hermione's ultimate dismay, it was dusty and looked like it would collapse at any second.

"Er – " she said. She turned to the barman. "Any other booths?"

"No," said the barman. He seemed grouchy. "Ain't got no other ones, you lot are gonna 'ave to settle right 'ere."

Hermione sighed.

"Anything I can get you lot?" asked the barman.

"Yes," said Ginny excitedly, "butterbeer, please." She turned to Hermione.

"Er – me too," said Hermione.

"Right," said the barman, slouching away.

"What's got _his _wand in a knot?" said Hermione, her eyes following him.

"Dunno," said Ginny, who didn't seem to be listening at all. "C'mon, sit down…"

Hermione agreed, slouching her bag on the chair's dust tip. She started drumming her fingers on the table. She hadn't been alone with Ginny in what seemed like forever. Then, out of nowhere, she scooped up a topic. "So Quidditch?" she said stupidly. "Is…Harry a good captain?"

"Er, said Ginny, "he's all right, I s'pose…not as bossy as Angelina, though," she admitted grimly.

"Right," said Hermione. "Where's Ron?"

Ginny looked rather startled at the sudden change of topic. "Er – I think he's at Madam Puddifoot's." she did not sound passionate at all.

There was no need to say "with who?" because Madam Puddifoot's was the only shop in Hogsmeade were couples bonded. And Ron, she knew, was in a relationship now. Through her straw, she made a gurgling noise.

Ginny laughed. "Yeah, I know. I'm not so crazy about the place either. Dean almost took me there once, but I told him I didn't want to and…so, what's new with you?" she said suddenly.

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing. I've got an Arithmancy test coming up, but I really don't think it'll be that hard, you see, because I – "

She stopped as one of the waiters put down the butterbeers. He held out his hand. Ginny searched her pockets. "Oops," she said quietly. "I must've left my savings in my other jacket."

"Its fine," sighed Hermione, searching her bag for her wallet. "Here – " she tossed two coins to the man who nodded approvingly and walked back to the counter.

"Hermione, you _do_ know why I invited you to Hogsmeade with me and Harry?" said Ginny.

"Er – well, Harry told me that I needed to forget about Arithmancy."

"No," said Ginny, rather seriously, "It's because I – " she stopped suddenly and a look of loathing spread across her face.

"What?" said Hermione curiously.

"Nothing," said Ginny, suddenly smiling sweetly. "Just look over here. So how about that Arithmancy test?"

"Ginny, I honestly – " her face suddenly turned blank. She knew why Ginny had tried to pull her way. Ron had just entered the pub, arm in arm with…Lavender. He scanned the bar and suddenly spotter her. They stared longingly, until Lavender pulled Ron into a tight embrace and their lips met.

"Oh." Hermione was blushing.

"The nerve," growled Ginny, "_he_ has the _nerve_ – "

"Its fine," said Hermione. She felt her face heat up. "L – Let's go to Honeydukes, all right? We can meet Harry over there."

She cupped her hand and placed it on the side of her face (that way she wouldn't see Ron), grabbed Ginny's hand and raced out the door.

"Hermione," said Ginny, once they were out of earshot, "Look, Ron's a prat, he's –"

"Its fine," said Hermione, her cheeks scarlet.

"No, it's not," said Ginny. "Look – me and Harry came up with this whole trip to Hogsmeade to get you to forget about Ron and –"

"WHAT?"

"It was Harry's idea! He said, 'Take Hermione to Hogsmeade for some girl time, and I'll meet you there later,'"

Hermione sighed. "Well…let's just go to Honeydukes, all right? I could use a Sugar Quill."

They walked up the busy street to find Honeydukes packed with people, all sorts, but mostly Hogwarts. Ginny spotted Harry in the growing crowd.

"_Harry_!"

"_Ginny_! _Hermione_!"

"Harry," said Hermione delightfully, patting his arm hardly. "Hello, Harry!"

"Er – hi," he said, rubbing his arm.

"I think there are Sugar Quill's over there," said Ginny quietly, pointing at one of the shelves, which were far away.

"Oh, OK," said Hermione, and she squeezed herself into the crowd, disappearing instantly.

"She's just mad," said Ginny. She suddenly held out her hand.

"What?" said Harry.

"You know what!" said Ginny furiously, "Cough up!"

"Fine," grumbled Harry, searching his pockets for a coin. "Did it work?"

"It was going perfectly," admitted Ginny darkly, "but then 'Won Won' showed up and ruined the whole damn thing."

Harry sighed and threw a few coins in Ginny's hand.

"We've still got next weekend," said Ginny soothingly. "Then it'll be your turn."

"Don't remind me," said Harry grimly.

"Soon, this _whole _thing will be over, and we'll have normal lives again."

"That you _can _remind me of," said Harry, and Ginny laughed.

"What?" asked Hermione sharply. She had just appeared there.

"Nothing," said Ginny hastily, but she smiled mischievously to Harry.

*TO BE CONTINUED*


End file.
